Ideas for shooting in volcanic ash?

heatherfeather

Hello everyone... I have a wedding this weekend and we just got dumped on with all this terrible ash. It burns your lungs and stings your eyes. I don't remember it being so stinky last time it blew either. Pretty nasty stuff. Anyway... Does anyone have any ideas of how to protect my gear while shooting in it? I doubt I will get the B & G outdoors in this... Besides... photos of a bride wearing a face mask wouldn't exactly be desirable.
What a pain.

Matt S

Well you are probably already off to shoot the wedding, but just in case you get this in time.

Assuming you are going to shoot outdoors

1 Raingear, ala shower cap, plastic bag, or the fancy kata stuff (I have the kata one if you want to borrow it).

2 Gaffer tape, seal up what ever holes in the camera you can, this might be easiest.

3 I think you shoot canon so i don't know if this applies but no push pull zooms, in fact zooms in general might not be a great idea. But if your like me you don't have many primes.

4 No lens changes outdoors, or at all if you can swing it.

5 Good luck, I don't know what else to tell you. Let us know how it goes.

Oh yeah skylight filters on lenses??? I don't use them but if you have them it might be a good time to slap them on.

ian408

Ash is capable of getting into anything. Do not open your camera outside. Don't open it without first cleaning it--and be sure to clean in the cracks. Ash is also abrasive so be sure to avoid rubbing it--a brush for the exterior maybe? Though tempting, I would stay away from compressed air as that would likely force the ash into the camera.

I'm glad to see things are moving along in spite of the ash fall. Hopefully, it's all over soon.

pathfinder

Afterwards clean with a microfiber cloth and a fine camel's hair brush before changing a lens.

Mountainwoman

I think it would be extremely funny to have the bride and groom and even the bridal party all wearing face masks. It would certainly be funny memories of their wedding for their kids and grandkids to see.

However, we are coming to Alaska in June - so get it all cleaned up before then - ok. Thanks

Karen

Dee

I agree, B&G in face masks would certainly mark the time and event of the volcano blowing! Maybe just one or two shots?

Can you see the ash in the air or is it mostly down now. Depending on what's happening outside, I think if the B&G are up for it, it would mark a day in history for them.

heatherfeather

Thanks everyone... When I finally got outside this morning it wasn't even 1/5th as bad as it was last night. It was a bit of adventure last night... I got out of a long meeting with 400 women to discover the ash had graced us with its presence. We all made our ways to the car with moistened paper towels over our mouths but it didn't help our stinging eyes and burning throats. Fortunately I had a water bottle in the car to splash over my windshield so I could "sort of" see. You can't use windshield wipers unless you want your windshield damaged, so it was still rather a muddy mess. Plus it was dark outside and all the street lights had this eerie fog around them. Really spooky actually.
By this morning, a nice breeze had picked up and cleaned out most of the floating particles. There is still some here and there but for the most part the air itself seems clean. (Though I can still smell a bit of residual.) Cross your fingers for no more eruptions!